"Popyrin deserved the title, it just wasn't Stan's day"

I think Alexei Popyrin really deserved to win the title. He played better in the final match and his success is spotless.

In fact, he should have won the first set where he had a 5:3 lead, but he fell back a bit and gave Wawrinka a chance to get back in the game, which he took advantage of. Still, I don’t think Stan played well enough in the final match, this may have been his worst match of the week. I do think he could have made it – I’d say that he was presented with a chance to win out of nowhere, but that backhand at the break point in the third set when the result was 3:2, sent the ball into the net. I think we’ll remember that moment for a long time, as it was when it all went downhill. Instead of creating a better advantage and draw closer to the victory, he brought Popyrin back into the game. Of course, it’s not the first time this happened in a match and it will certainly not be the last, but I have to reiterate that Popyrin was simply better. This guy is an excellent player, and his 90th spot in the rankings clearly means nothing. He’s had some amazing victories this season, three of them against players in the top 10 at the time, and that speaks for itself. This definitely wasn’t his last great accomplishment – he’s young, he’s playing very well, so we’re bound to see more from him.

Wawrinka was one step away from another title. He’s a great player, you could see how the audience supported him, which is truly deserved for a player of his calibre. It’s been 17 years since his first triumph in Umag and this final match, which is a very long time. I congratulate him on everything he showed at the tournament. The whole tournament was very good, and we had a chance to enjoy many amazing matches. The weather wasn’t the best, but we made it through it all.

The fact that the stadium was full from the very first day speaks for itself – the programme was top-quality from the very start, and it’s a big deal. The atmosphere was excellent, I’m sure the spectators had a good time and that’s what keeps us going. The doubles tournament was also excellent! This tournament flies by so quickly for me, and it passes by faster with each year. I see it as a good sign, showing that a lot is happening and we’re keeping it interesting. The next tournament will be here sooner than we think, so I’ll see you next year!